Anti-glare eyewear

ABSTRACT

An aspect of some embodiments of the present invention relates to an eyewear article for reducing glare. The eyewear article comprises an upper opaque or semi-opaque panel and a lower opaque or semi-opaque panel. The upper panel and lower panels are separated by a slit, the slit being configured for being placed in front of a user&#39;s eye to enable light propagating from a task located ahead of the user&#39;s eye to reach the user&#39;s eye, and the upper and lower panels being configured for preventing at least a portion of light propagating from at least some locations other than the task from reaching the user&#39;s eye.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to eyewear and more particularly to eyewear for decreasing glare.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Glare is the difficulty of seeing in the presence of bright light such as direct or reflected sunlight or artificial light. Glare is caused by the luminance of the glare source being comparable or higher than the luminance of an object or scene being looked at (the task). Factors such as the angle between the task and the glare source and eye adaptation have significant impacts on the experience of glare. Glare can be generally divided into two types, discomfort glare and disability glare. Discomfort glare results in an instinctive desire to look away from a bright light source or difficulty in seeing a task. Disability glare impairs the vision of objects without necessarily causing discomfort. This could arise for instance when driving westward at sunset. Disability glare is often caused by the inter-reflection of light within the eyeball, reducing the contrast between task and glare source to the point where the task is difficult to distinguish.

Glare from direct or reflected sunlight is a serious problem for many people, especially the elderly. Glare causes eye strain, headaches, and is the cause of many auto accidents.

Sunglasses are often worn to reduce glare; polarized sunglasses are designed to reduce glare caused by light reflected from non-metallic surfaces such as water, glossy printed matter or painted surfaces. An anti-reflective treatment on some eyeglasses reduces the glare caused by reflection of glare light from the lens to a person's eye.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel form of eyewear configured for decreasing the amount of light reaching a user's eye from at least one direction that is not the direction of the task.

For this purpose, eyewear of the present invention includes an opaque or semi-opaque material interrupted by a slit. The eyewear is worn by a user so that the slit is located in front of the user's eye. In this manner, light which originates from or is reflected by the task and which propagates from the task to the eye reaches the user's eye through the slit, while at least some light from other directions is prevented from reaching the eye, by being blocked or reflected away by the opaque material.

Thus, an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention relates to an eyewear article for reducing glare. The eyewear article comprises an upper opaque or semi-opaque panel and a lower opaque or semi-opaque panel. The upper panel and lower panels are separated by a slit, the slit being configured for being placed in front of a user's eye to enable light propagating from a task located ahead of the user's eye to reach the user's eye, and the upper and lower panels being configured for preventing at least a portion of light propagating from at least some locations other than the task from reaching the user's eye.

Optionally, the article comprises a transparent or semi-transparent material covering the slit.

In a variant, the upper and lower panel are coplanar.

In another variant, the article comprises a sheet of transparent or semi-transparent material. The sheet includes an upper section and a lower section. The upper section is coated by a first opaque or semi-opaque coating to form the upper panel. The lower section is coated by a second opaque or semi-opaque coating to form the lower panel. The upper and lower sections of the sheet being separated from each other to form the slit.

Optionally, the sheet comprises one of: a lens and a corrective lens.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the sheet further comprises at least one side section coated by a third opaque or semi-opaque coating, the at least one side section flanking the upper and lower sections.

Additionally, the sheet may comprise two side sections coated by respective opaque or semi-opaque coatings, each side section flanking respective sides of the upper and lower sections.

In a variant, the article further comprises at least one side panel flanking a respective side of the sheet and extending from the sheet toward a head of the user, the at least one side panel being opaque or semi-opaque.

In another variant, the article further comprises at least one of a top panel and a bottom panel, the top panel being joined to the sheet above the slit and extending toward a head of the user and the bottom panel being joined to the sheet above the slit and extending toward the head of the user, the top and bottom panels being opaque or semi-opaque.

In yet another varian, the upper section is a film joined to the sheet, the film being rollable upward to increase a size of the slit and is rollable downward to decrease the size of the slit.

In a further variant, the sheet is configured as a clip-on for a lens of eyeglasses.

In yet a further variant, the article comprises a hinge joined to an upper portion of the sheet and a grasper joined to the hinge, the grasper being configured for grasping the lens and the hinge being configured for enabling a rotation of the sheet with respect to the lens.

In a variant, the article includes two sheets joined via a first bridge to form a clip-on kit, the bridge comprising a grasper configured for grasping a second bridge of eyeglasses, so as to join to the eyeglasses such that each sheet is aligned with a respective lens of the eyeglasses.

Optionally, the article further comprises a hinge located between the first bridge and the grasper, so as to enable a rotation of the clip-on kit with respect to the eyeglasses.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the first upper panel and lower panel are at an angle with each other and extend from the slit to the user's eye, the upper panel forming an upper wall of a box and the lower panel forming a lower wall of the box. The eyewear article further comprises side walls on each side of the upper and lower walls, such that the box has a first open side corresponding to the slit and a second open side opposite the slit and the walls surround a volume between the first open side and second open side.

In a variant, the eyewear article is configured for being joined to an inner surface of a lens such that the box extends from the lens to the user's eye and surrounds the eye.

In another variant, the eyewear article comprises an adhesive pad surrounding at least part of the first open side of the box and configured for being joined to the inner surface of the lens.

In yet another variant, the walls are made of a flexible material that can be bent to a desired shape and maintain the desired shape.

In a further variant, the eyewear article includes two boxes, two frames, each frame being joined to a slit of the respective box, and a bridge joined to the frames. The eyewear article is configured to be worn by a user such that each box is placed in front of a respective eye and the bridge passes over a nose of the user.

In yet a further variant, the eyewear article further comprises a pair of arms, each arm being joined to a respective frame and extending toward a respective ear of the user.

Optionally, the eyewear article further comprises two extensions, each extension joining a respective frame to a respective arm.

Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the features in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims attached hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention, in accordance with one or more various embodiments, is described in detail with reference to the following figures. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict typical or example embodiments of the invention. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader's understanding of the invention and shall not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the invention. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale.

Some of the figures included herein illustrate various embodiments of the invention from different viewing angles. Although the accompanying descriptive text may refer to such views as “top,” “bottom” or “side” views, such references are merely descriptive and do not imply or require that the invention be implemented or used in a particular spatial orientation unless explicitly stated otherwise.

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating light beams reaching a person's eye from a plurality of different direction to generate glare;

FIGS. 2-3 are schematic drawings illustrating the manner in which eyewear of the present invention decreases glare when positioned in front of a user's eye;

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing illustrating eyewear of the present invention in the form of eyeglasses;

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing illustrating eyewear of the present invention in which the slit is continuous;

FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing illustrating eyewear of the present invention in which the slit is surrounded from all sides by opaque or semi-opaque material;

FIGS. 7-9 are schematic drawings illustrating eyewear of the present invention, in which the size of the slit can be varied;

FIGS. 10-14 are schematic drawings illustrating eyewear of the present invention configured for being joined to eyeglasses as a clip-on;

FIGS. 15-19 are schematic drawings illustrating eyewear of the present invention, in which the opaque or semi-opaque material is disposed as a box surrounding the user's eye; and

FIGS. 20-21 are schematic drawings illustrating eyewear of the present invention in the form of eyeglasses which include panels opaque or semi-opaque material extending away from the lens.

The figures are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration, and that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

From time-to-time, the present invention is described herein in terms of example environments. Description in terms of these environments is provided to allow the various features and embodiments of the invention to be portrayed in the context of an exemplary application. After reading this description, it will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art how the invention can be implemented in different and alternative environments.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All patents, applications, published applications and other publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. If a definition set forth in this section is contrary to or otherwise inconsistent with a definition set forth in applications, published applications and other publications that are herein incorporated by reference, the definition set forth in this document prevails over the definition that is incorporated herein by reference.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating light beams reaching a person's eye from a plurality of different direction to generate glare.

In FIG. 1, the eye 100 of a person receives first light beams 104 generated by or reflected by a task 102, as well as second light beams 106 reaching the eye 100 from one or more other directions. The second light beams 106 cause glare, which may affects the person's ability to clearly see the task 102 and/or may cause discomfort, such as eye strain or a headache.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 2-3 are schematic drawings illustrating the manner in which eyewear of the present invention decreases glare when positioned in front of a user's eye.

The eyewear 200 of the present invention includes a sheet having an opaque or semi-opaque section 202 and a slit 204. The slit may be in the form of an aperture, as illustrated in FIG. 2, or in the form of a transparent or semi-transparent material, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The eyewear 200 is configured for being positioned in front of the eye 100, such that the slit 204 is in front of the pupil. In this manner, first light beams 104 generated by or reflected by the task 102 reach they user's eye 100 via the slit 204, while at least a portion of the second light beams 106 is prevented from reaching they user's eye 100 by the opaque or semi-opaque section 202. The opaque or semi-opaque section 202 may absorb some of the second light beams 106 and/or reflect some of the second light beams away from the eye.

Since at least a portion of the second light beams 106 does not reach the eye 100, the user perceives the luminance of the task to be substantially higher than the luminance of the source(s) of light beams 106. In this manner, glare is decreased.

The inventor has found that increased glare protection is provided by the eyewear of the present invention when the thickness a of the opaque or semi-opaque section section of the sheet that is adjacent to the slit 204 is at least ¼ of an inch. Optionally, the thickness t is between ¼ of an inch and ⅜ of an inch. Eyewear in which the thickness a is larger than ⅜ of an inch is also included in the scope of the present invention. However, the inventor has found that such eyewear does not significantly reduce the glare as compared to eyewear in which a is between ¼ of an inch and ⅜ of an inch.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the vertical length of the slit 204 is about the same as the vertical length of an eye between the eyelids. Optionally, the horizontal width of the slit is slightly larger than the eye, to enable the eye to perceive a larger field of view.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which is a schematic drawing illustrating eyewear 200 of the present invention in the form of eyeglasses.

The eyeglasses may include two discrete sheets 201 joined to opposite ends of a bridge 220. Each sheet is configured for being placed in front of a respective eye of the user. Each sheet includes an upper opaque or semi-opaque panel 202 a and a lower opaque or semi-opaque panel 202 b, which together form the opaque or semi-opaque section 202 of the sheet 201 of FIG. 1. The upper panel 202 a and the lower panel 202 b are separated by the slit 204. Each sheet may be surrounded by a frame or rim 222. As mentioned above, the slit may be a hollow aperture or a transparent or semi-transparent panel. The transparent or semi-transparent panel forming the slit may include a corrective lens.

In a variant, the upper panel 202 a, the slit 204, and the lower panel 202 b are manufactured as a single transparent or semi-transparent element. The upper section and lower section are coated by an opaque or semi-opaque coating, while the middle portion between the upper and lower sections is left to be transparent or semi-transparent.

In some embodiments of the present invention, arms 224 are joined to the respective sheets directly of via frames 222, and extend away from the plane of the frames. Each arm 224 may be joined to the respective sheet 201 or frame 222 via a hinging mechanism. The arms enable the eyeglasses to be secured to and/or supported by the user's ears. Optionally, the frames are joined to a band (e.g. elastic band) configured for being worn around the user's head, as shown in FIG. 5.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5, which is a schematic drawing illustrating eyewear of the present invention in which the slit is continuous.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the eyewear 200 of the present invention includes two portions 240 and 242 configured for being positioned in front of the user's eyes, and a bridge 220 located between the portions 240 and 242. The portions 240 and 242 and the bridge 220 are manufactured as a single sheet of material. In this case, the slit 204 may be continuous along the width of the eyewear 200.

Optionally, the eyewear 200 has two arms configured for being secured to and/or supported by the ears of the user, as described in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the eyewear 200 is secured to the user's head via a band (e.g. elastic band) 260 configured for being worn around the user's head.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 6, 18, and 19, which are schematic drawings illustrating eyewear 200 of the present invention in which the slit 204 is surrounded from all sides by opaque or semi-opaque material.

In the example of FIG. 6, the eyewear 200 is in the form of eyeglasses, as described in FIG. 4. In contrast with FIG. 4, the slit 204 is surrounded on all sides by opaque or semi-opaque section 202. As was mentioned above, the slit 204 may be an aperture, or a transparent or semi-transparent panel. Optionally, the slit 204 and the opaque or semi-opaque section 202 are manufactured as a single transparent or semi-transparent element. Part of the transparent or semi-transparent sheet a surface coated by an opaque or semi-opaque coating to form the opaque or semi-opaque material 202. The part of the transparent or semi-transparent sheet which is configured for being located in front of the eye is left to be transparent or semi-transparent, to enable the user to view the task.

In the example of FIG. 20, at least one sheet 201 of the eyewear 200 is flanked by an opaque or semi-opaque side panel 400 located on the outer flank of the sheet. The outer flank is herein defined as the flank of a sheet which is farthest from the second sheet. The side panel extends from the sheet 201 toward the user's temple. In this manner, the side panel decreases the amount of light reaching the eye from the side, thus increasing the glare protection provided by the eyewear 200.

Optionally, the eyewear 200 also includes at least one opaque or semi-opaque top panel 402 and/or at least one opaque or semi-opaque bottom panel 404, as shown in FIG. 21. Each top panel 402 is joined to the respective sheet 201 above the slit and extends toward the user's head. Each bottom panel 404 is joined to the respective sheet 201 below the slit and extends toward the user's head. The top panel decreases the amount of light reaching the eye from above the eye, thus increasing the glare protection provided by the eyewear 200. The bottom panel decreases the amount of light reaching the eye from below the eye, thus increasing the glare protection provided by the eyewear 200.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 7-9, which are schematic drawings illustrating eyewear of the present invention, in which the size of the slit can be varied.

In the example of FIGS. 7-9, the eyewear of the present invention includes a sheet and an opaque or semi-opaque film 202 a. The sheet includes an opaque or semi-opaque bottom section 202 b and a transparent or semi-transparent section 260 located above the bottom section. The film 202 a joined to the top edge of the transparent section 260 and is rollable to cover or uncover the transparent section 260. The section of the sheet between the film 202 a and the bottom section 202 b corresponds to the slit described above.

In FIG. 7, the film 202 a is completely rolled up. In FIG. 8, the film 202 b is partially rolled down along the transparent section 260. Thus, in FIG. 8, the bottom section 202 b and the film 202 a form the opaque or semi-opaque section as described in FIG. 1, while the part of the transparent section 260 that is left uncovered by the film constitutes the slit, as described in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 9, the film 202 b is completely rolled down, making the slit even smaller. The size of the slit can be adjusted by rolling the film 202 b up or down as desired. The embodiment of FIG. 7-9 is therefore advantageous, as it enables each user to adjust the height of the slit according to the user's preference.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 10-14, which are schematic drawings illustrating eyewear of the present invention configured for being joined to eyeglasses as a clip-on.

In the example of FIGS. 10-14, the eyewear 200 of the present includes one or two sheets 201 (as described above), one or two graspers, and one or two hinges.

In a first variant, each sheet is associated with a respective lens 302 of the eyeglasses 300, and a respective grasper 322 to form a clip-on. Optionally, a respective hinge 320 is located between each sheet and the respective grasper. As shown in FIGS. 13-14, the grasper 322 grasps a lens 302, and is joined to the sheet 201 via the hinge 320. In this manner, the sheet can be rotated to toward and away from the lens. In a first configuration, the sheet 201 is at an angle of about 90 degrees with the lens (FIGS. 10 and 13) and does not protect the user from glare. The first configuration can be used, for example, when the user is in a situation in which light is scarce and needs no protection from glare. The sheet 201 can be rotated toward the lens 302 (FIG. 11) to reach a second configuration in which the inner surface of the sheet 201 (i.e. the surface of the sheet facing the user) covers or overlaps the outer surface of the lens 302 (i.e. the surface of the lens facing away from the user), such that the slit is located in front of the user's eye (FIGS. 12 and 14). The second configuration can be used to protect the user from glare, as explained above. Alternatively, the hinge is absent and the clip on is not rotatable.

In a second variant, the two sheets 201 are joined to each other via a second bridge (not pictured) to form a clip-on. Optionally, the second bridge is joined to a second grasper via a hinge. The second grasper is configured for grasping the bridge of the eyeglasses, and the second bridge is configured for rotating toward and away from the bridge of the eyeglasses. In this manner both sheets 201 can be set in a first configuration at an angle of about 90 degrees with the respective lenses and in a second configuration, in which in which the inner surface of each sheet 201 (i.e. the surface of the sheet facing the user) covers or overlaps the outer surface of the corresponding lens 302 (i.e. the surface of the lens facing away from the user), such that the sheet's slit is located in front of the corresponding eye. Alternatively, the clip-on does not include the hinge and is not rotatable.

The sheets 201 of FIGS. 10-14 may be made of stiff or slightly flexible plastic sheet. Wax-coated stiff polycarbonate plastic or cardboard may also be used.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 15-19, which are schematic drawings illustrating eyewear of the present invention, in which the opaque or semi-opaque material is disposed as a box surrounding the user's eye. FIG. 15 is a side cross section of an anti-glare box. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the anti-glare box. FIGS. 17 and 18 are frontal cross sections of an anti-glare box having an alterable shape, according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 19 is an example illustrating a manner in which the anti-glare box can be worn by a user.

As aspect of some embodiments of the present invention relates to an anti-glare box 500 having two open sides opposite to each other (506 and 508), and having one or more walls (502, 504, 510, 512, for example) which completely surround the volume between the two open sides. The box is configured for being placed in front of a user's eye, so that the two open sides are located in front of the eye and the eye is surrounded by the one or more walls. The one or more walls are opaque or semi-opaque, thus decreasing the amount of light reaching the eye from the sides, above, and below. The two open sides are aligned in front of the eye to enable light from a task facing the user's eye to reach the user's eye. Optionally, the surface of the open side distal from the eye 506 is smaller than the surface of the open side proximal to the eye 508. This further decreases the amount of light reaching the eye from directions other than the direction of the task. It should be noted that in the examples of FIGS. 15, 16 and 17, the frontal cross section of the box has been shown to be rectangular. The scope of the present invention extends to boxes having frontal cross sections of other shapes, such as elliptical, triangular, etc. Furthermore, the shape of the distal open side may differ from the shape of the proximal open side.

In a non-limiting example, the distance d between the two open sides of the box is equal to or several times longer than the height h of the open side distal from the eye 506. Optionally, the thickness t of the walls (502, 504, 510, 512, for example) is between ¼ of an inch and ⅜ of an inch.

As shown in the example FIG. 16, the anti-glare box 500 can be mounted on a lens 302 of eyeglasses. In this example, the box 500 includes an adhesive pad 514 which surrounds at least part of the distal open side of the box. The adhesive pad is joined to the inner surface of the lens, so that the box extends from the lens to the eye and surrounds the eye. It should be noted that the scope of the present invention extends to other mechanisms for joining the box to the inner surface of a lens.

As shown in the example FIGS. 17 and 18, in some embodiments of the present invention the box 500 is made of a flexible material that can be bent to a desired shape and maintains the desired shape. In this manner, the shape of the open side distal from the eye 506 can be altered as desired. For example, by applying pressure to the lower sections of the sides 510 and 512, the bottom border of the open side 506 can be bent downwards. In this manner, the box 500 enables the user to see downward, while still enabling the user's to see a scene in front of the user's eye. This configuration may be advantageous, for example, when the user types on a computer. The user is able to look forward (to the screen) and downward (to the keyboard) by moving the pupil and without having to move his or her head.

In the example of FIG. 19, an eyewear article 550 is illustrated, including two boxes 500 as described above, two respective frames 600, a bridge 602, and arms 604.

Each box 500 is held by a respective frame 600. Each frame 600 is joined to the respective box 500 either at the box's open side distal from the eye or between the open sides of the box. Optionally, if the two open sides of a box 500 are different in size the larger open sized is set to be proximal to the eye. Ends of the bridge 602 are joined to respective frames, such that the bridge passes over the user's nose bridge. The outer flank of each frame 600 is joined to an arm 604, either directly or via an extension 606. The arm extends toward the ear of the user, and grasps the ear and/or is supported by the ear to secure the eyewear article 550 to the user's head.

In use, the boxes 500 are placed in from the respective eyes 100, so that the open sides of each box are aligned to be set in front of the respective eye. The boxes are set so that the wall(s) of each box surrounds (surround) the eye, as explained above. The arms 604 are secured to and/or supported by the ears of the user, to secure the eyewear article 550 to the user's head. Optionally the distal open side of at least one box is covered by a polarizing and/or corrective lens, if needed.

When the eyewear article 550 is secured to the user's head, each light reaching each eye from at least some directions other than the direction of the task (located before the eye) is deceased. In this manner, glare is decreased.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or other configuration for the invention, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that can be included in the invention. The invention is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but the desired features can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Indeed, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional, logical or physical partitioning and configurations can be implemented to implement the desired features of the present invention. Also, a multitude of different constituent module names other than those depicted herein can be applied to the various partitions. Additionally, with regard to flow diagrams, operational descriptions and method claims, the order in which the steps are presented herein shall not mandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recited functionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise.

Although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the terms “a” or “an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more” or the like; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,” “standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future.

A group of items linked with the conjunction “and” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction “or” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, although items, elements or components of the invention may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated.

The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent. The use of the term “module” does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of a module, whether control logic or other components, can be combined in a single package or separately maintained and can further be distributed across multiple locations.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the invention. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements.

Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations. As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives can be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An eyewear article comprising a sheet of transparent or semi-transparent material comprising: an upper section coated by a first opaque or semi-opaque coating to form an upper panel; and a lower section coated by a second opaque or semi-opaque coating to form a lower panel; the upper and lower sections of the sheet being separated from each other to form a slit, the slit being configured for being placed in front of a user's eye to enable light propagating from a task located ahead of the user's eye to reach the user's eye, and the upper and lower panels being configured for preventing at least a portion of light propagating from at least some locations other than the task from reaching the user's eye; wherein the upper section comprises a film joined to the sheet, the film being rollable upward to increase a size of the slit and is rollable downward to decrease the size of the slit.
 2. The eyewear article of claim 1, comprising a transparent or semi-transparent material covering the slit.
 3. The eyewear article of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower panel are coplanar.
 4. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the sheet comprises one of: a lens and a corrective lens.
 5. The eyewear article of claim 4, wherein the sheet further comprises one or two side sections coated by a respective opaque or semi-opaque coating, each side section flanking respective sides of the upper and lower sections.
 6. The eyewear article of claim 1, further comprising at least one side panel flanking a respective side of the sheet and extending from the sheet toward a head of the user, the at least one side panel being opaque or semi-opaque.
 7. The eyewear article of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a top panel and a bottom panel, the top panel being joined to the sheet above the slit and extending toward a head of the user and the bottom panel being joined to the sheet above the slit and extending toward the head of the user, the top and bottom panels being opaque or semi-opaque.
 8. The eyewear article of claim 1, comprising two sheets joined via a first bridge to form a clip-on kit, the bridge comprising a grasper configured for grasping a second bridge of eyeglasses, so as to join to the eyeglasses such that each sheet is aligned with a respective lens of the eyeglasses.
 9. The eyewear article of claim 8, further comprising a hinge located between the first bridge and the grasper, so as to enable a rotation of the clip-on kit with respect to the eyeglasses.
 10. The eyewear article of claim 1, wherein the upper panel and lower panel are at an angle with each other and extend from the slit to the user's eye, the upper panel forming an upper wall of a box and the lower panel forming a lower wall of the box, the eyewear article further comprising side walls on each side of the upper and lower walls, such that the box has a first open side corresponding to the slit and a second open side opposite the slit and the walls surround a volume between the first open side and second open side.
 11. The eyewear article of claim 10, being configured for being joined to an inner surface of a lens such that the box extends from the lens to the user's eye and surrounds the eye.
 12. The eyewear article of claim 11, comprising an adhesive pad surrounding at least part of the first open side of the box and configured for being joined to the inner surface of the lens.
 13. The eyewear article of claim 10, wherein the walls are made of a flexible material that can be bent to a desired shape and maintain the desired shape.
 14. The eyewear article of claim 10, comprising: two boxes; two frames, each frame being joined to a slit of the respective box; and a bridge joined to the frames; the eyewear article being configured to be worn by a user such that each box is placed in front of a respective eye and the bridge passes over a nose of the user.
 15. The eyewear article of claim 14, further comprising a pair of arms, each arm being joined to a respective frame and extending toward a respective ear of the user.
 16. The eyewear article of claim 15, further comprising two extensions, each extension joining a respective frame to a respective arm.
 17. An eyewear article configured as a clip-on for eyeglasses, the eyewear article comprising a sheet of transparent or semi-transparent material which comprises: an upper section coated by a first opaque or semi-opaque coating to form an upper panel; and a lower section coated by a second opaque or semi-opaque coating to form a lower panel; the upper and lower sections of the sheet being separated from each other to form a slit; and a hinge joined to an upper portion of the sheet and a grasper joined to the hinge, the grasper being configured for grasping the lens of eyeglasses and the hinge being configured for enabling a rotation of the sheet with respect to the lens. 